pumpkin cupcake comparison

I made these cupcakes when he wasn’t around, and I had to do three separate “tastings” (eating all three in one sitting, unfrosted) over a couple of days before I could really narrow down my opinion. Dave came home, ate one of each, and described them almost exactly as I would have. Gah!

Method:Bon Appetit: This recipe got demerit points from the start for calling for self-rising flour and pumpkin pie spice, both of which I had to look up conversions for. (And I was surprised to find that there apparently is no straight substitution for self-rising flour.) Plus it called for the brown sugar to be mixed with the dry ingredients – clumps! The mixing method is a simple wet ingredients-dry ingredients-combine process, which…sounds like a muffin. It was the only recipe that used oil instead of butter, and it included sour cream.

Martha Stewart: This was also mixed similar to muffins are, with the pumpkin added after the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

David Leite (via Smitten Kitchen): This recipe was the most promising from the beginning, because it’s actually mixed using the cake method, where butter and sugar are creamed, the eggs are mixed in, then the dry ingredients and liquid (buttermilk in this case) are alternately added.

left to right: david leite, martha stewart, bon appetit

Results:Bon Appetit: They were very dense; I could always identify these cupcakes just by the weight of them. The tangy flavor of the sour cream was definitely noticeable, which I thought masked the flavor of the pumpkin. This was both Dave and my least favorite.

Martha Stewart: These were good – light and moist, with a nice pumpkin flavor. The tops were sticky, but that doesn’t matter after they’re frosted. I was impressed with these until I tried the David Leite cupcakes, and then these seemed too muffiny.

David Leite: Perfect. So light, with just the right amount of resiliency. (It’s hard to describe this trait of cakes, but I like when they’re a little springy.) The pumpkin flavor was nicely balanced. They were just really good cupcakes, pumpkin flavored.

left to right: david leite, martha stewart, bon appetit

For once, a comparison post where the results are clear! Even my dumb palate can tell the difference between these three cakes. David Leite’s recipe is certainly the way to go, unless you’re in a big hurry or hate to bake or something, in which case nobody is going to complain about Martha Stewart’s recipe.

3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Divide the batter equally between the cups. (They’ll be about ¾ full.) Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Caitlin – I used cream cheese frosting. I believe all of three of these recipes include a cream cheese frosting recipe at their original source, but I didn’t follow any of those, because I had some leftover frosting from something else.

I’m mightily impressed with your testing! (And I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say I’m thrilled that you liked my cupcakes the best.) I adore the pumpkin cake, which is the basis for the cupcakes. Keep up all the good work.

Hi there! Such a fan of your blog and I love pumpkin cake! I’m actually making your adapted version of white cake from your second comparison. Those babies are in the oven so I will give you feedback later when they come out. CHeck out my blog (just began!) Thanks for all the great recipes! Oh and by the way… what frosting did you use on the white cupcakes?

Mmm I so love pumpkin and these cupcakes look delicious. It is really frustrating me right now that Libby’s Pumpkin Puree has vanished off the face of the UK. I cannot find it anywhere in London or online in the UK right now. I only hope that someone starts stocking it nearer to Hallowe’en and then I’m going to stock up!

I loved the comparison – and based on your recommendation made the David Leite recipe. This is the best cake I’ve had in a long time. I made large and mini cupcakes and frosted with some leftover chocolate cream cheese icing. After two days they were still moist! My office loved them.

I knew the internet would not fail me. I was looking for a cupcake/muffin recipe with of course, pumpkin, to go with some leftovre cream cheese frosting I have sitting in my fridge. I love this post on the comparison. Thanks for the time you spent making these three recipes, I hope it was an enjoyable time for you! Off to make Mr. Leite’s recipe.

Just popped a batch of the Smitten Kitchen cuppies out and oh my god… I knew it was possible to make pumpkin cupcakes that actually tasted like cupcakes… thank you so much for helping me reach a successful completion to my quest. Now, off to play with the recipe… I wonder what it would taste like with hazelnuts?

First, thanks for doing a comparison! I just baked off the Winner and can totally see/taste what you mean about it being more “cupcake-y” but I think I may prefer the Martha Stewart recipe. Yes, it’s more dense and muffin-y but it is also more pumpkin-y. And I think holds up better with the classic cream cheese frosting. SO, it’s a tie in my book. I will make the MS recipe when I feel I want a more “substantial” cupcake and this one when I want a lighter, more delicate pumpkin flavor.

Kim – Thanks for weighing in! It’s particularly interesting that you think MS’s recipe is more pumpkiny, because both recipes have the same ratio of flour:pumpkin (and spices). I wonder if it’s the extra sugar in MS’s recipe that brings out the pumpkin flavor more?

Bridget- You are absolutely right ! And the MS recipe I found also uses browned butter w/ fresh sage which adds a freshness to the pumpkin batter. I believe it is a variation of this one (not sure which one is the Original).

Ah! The power of google! I was JUST searching for some pumpkin cupcake recipes to do my own trial, and look! Someone else has done the research for me! I even had two of the three recipes you used narrowed down to my “going to try” list. Bridget, you have just saved me time and ingredients! My new hero. Thank you for sharing your results!

I made the recommended David Leite cupcakes last year and topped them with cranberry Swiss meringue buttercream. They were so delicious that I wanted to keep eating and eating them. The cupcakes truly were pumpkin cake, not muffins. I added unsweetened cranberry puree (boiled cranberries in water until they had burst, then put them through a food mill) to vanilla SMB and created the most wonderful frosting. I am coming back to this recipe again this year.